Name: Samuel John Taylor
Generally addressed as: Sam
Apparent age: 21
Date of birth: 30th of September, 1820
Starsign: Libra
Actual age: 199
Gender: Male
Species: Vampire
Sire: Abigail Hammond
AppearanceHair: An unassuming light brown, styled tidily by being cut short at his nape but gaining some flair from the longer top section. His hair falls from a central part and is kept long enough to reach the middle of his ears; it sweeps down from the crown of his head in perfect arcs, framing his face and long enough to tuck behind his ears or to get in his eyes if it's been washed. His hair is fairly thick in texture and he combs it back with his fingers quite a lot, giving him a nonchalant air as the wisps arrange themselves over his eyes or in arches along the top of his skull.
Eyes: Dark blue, not very large but expressive, despite being set in beneath a prominent browline. In fact, Sam's eyes possibly look smaller due to his very high and noble cheekbones coupled with said browline. His eyebrows are almost dead straight along his forehead, not overly thick or remarkable. His lashes are fairly short but thick and straight, rather than curling prettily.
Nose: Sam's nose is slightly too long for his face, fairly aquiline and with a little upturn at the end that gives it some flair, complementing the curl of his nostrils.
Lips: He has quite a narrow mouth but an extremely full lower lip, giving him a permanently pouty look - especially since his upper lip is also a little puffy (though not as defined, with gentle curvature to outline it).
Height: 188cm (6ft 2in)
Weight: 91kg (200lbs)
Frame: Sam has an athletic build with pronounced musculature built up by the gentlemanly 'sports' he pursued as a mortal. His shoulders aren't exceptionally broad but he has a trim waist, well-defined legs, narrow hips and prominent pectorals. His legs are so muscular and shapely, in fact, that they compete admirably for notice with his superbly shaped buttocks (the term 'bounce a coin off them' has been said in his presence, to his great embarrassment). He has large hands that don't appear to have seen much hard work in their life time.
Complexion: Given that Sam didn't see a whole lot of sunlight when he was alive, it stands to reason that his supernatural pallour is complete after almost two centuries. Although not particularly firm, his flesh is certainly the colour of alabaster and there are places on his body where the veins beneath are visible as blue pathways when he drinks well - he doesn't like the monster-like look he gains when this phenomenon occurs in his cheeks and forehead.
Voice: Masculine but not overly deep; has a soft, southern American drawl.
Tattoos/Distinguishing Marks: A small scar has split his left eyebrow at the end closest to his temple, from where he fell out of a tree and split his head on a rock as a child. He has a small, puckered scar just near his left hipbone from where a fishing hook cast (poorly) by his brother got snagged in him when they were teenagers. Evidence of scrapes and scratches cover both his knees, declaring that he
did spend time outdoors as a mortal boy - mostly they were gained by scrabbling up trees with rough bark, in order to find quiet places to read undisturbed, however.
Usually seen wearing: Casual clothing; jeans and wooden-heeled boots, T-shirts, sweaters and hoodies.
Usually seen holding: Remi's hand or a book.
Body LanguageCommon stance 1: Tucked into a corner reading, chewing on the thumbnail of his free hand, legs slung over the arms of whatever chair he's sitting in.
Common stance 2: Sitting politely at a table, arms folded atop the surface and head bent curiously, researching.
Common stance 3: Against a wall in any space occupied by other people - often near the exit - hands fretting nervously at various parts of his clothing as if he wishes for a good excuse to leave and might find it buried beneath a random fold.
Visual habits: Averts his eyes, smiles nervously, is quiet and rarely says much, fiddles with his clothes.
Occupation: Head Librarian at the Kerr Galvin Academy and Curator of the former Oligarchy's Library Collection (owned by Ben Samson and Kerr Galvin)
Personality: Sam is quiet, studious, demure, loyal and sincere. He is somewhat sentimental, tends to trust those in a position of authority without question, is naiive and emotional. He falls hard and fast and has experienced quite a few love affairs in his years, unable to resist the lure of that giddy, in-love feeling... but regretting it bitterly when it ended (and vowing never to do it again, naturally).
Although he keeps to himself most of the time, he mixes willingly with vampires and enjoys people-watching. He is quite intuitive when it comes to understanding peoples' motivations and personalities, able to accurately predict the outcome of many situations simply because of what he reads in body language or hears in vocal inflection when people talk to one another. When nervous or upset, his old habit of stuttering has been known to come back but he can verbally defend himself - waspishly so - if necessary. He tends not to speak aggressively or swear unless he feels threatened, and then all bets are off.
History: Samuel grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, the son of a politician. He was never interested in the glitter and station of the crowd his father circulated in, but he and his mother and brother were expected to stand by his side as faithful devotees. Samuel was born with a terrible stutter that meant he often couldn't get a word out when he was nervous; this severely hampered his social interests and meant that he spent every party or engagement from the time he was five tucked into a corner, away from prying eyes and generally with his nose stuck in a book.
Being so unobtrusive, he was forgotten and saw much more than the adults gave him credit for; he observed many affairs or shady dealings that educated him far more quickly than any of books ever could have, and he was quite the expert on the human condition by the time he was twelve.
He had the usual, fortunate life of a politician's son, growing up hunting, riding, fishing and tracking in the forests just outside the town, educated regularly at school until he was of age to leave. His older brother, Nathaniel, had no impediments like Sam's stutter and he happily followed their father into the career of politics, leaving Samuel to his own devices, occupation-wise. When he left school, he clerked for his father and brother, enjoying the role of dealing with books and paperwork, disliking the people dealing side of things but tolerating it, for it was by the far the lesser portion of his job.
Given the Taylor family's growing status, Samuel was exposed to many types of society but tended to mix most frequently with well-to-do cotton plantation owners, who all pushed their well-to-do daughters at Nathaniel (if they were beautiful), or at Sam (if they were not). He found such situations entirely awkward and dealt badly with all of them, embarrassing himself to the degree that he was certain he would never find himself a suitable mate (especially since he frequently found the plantation sons attractive as well, much to his confusion).
Into this mess came an enigmatic and bewitching woman named Abigail Hammond. Unbeknownst to Sam, she was a woman born in 1627, in the midst of the Thirty Years War in England. She was turned before the end of the war, at eighteen, and thereafter roamed the globe, using her beauty and wiles to lure unsuspecting victims and fledglings alike. In the face of her attention being turned upon him one warm summer's eve, Samuel had no hope of resistance.
In Abigail's arms, he found an acceptance and a desire he'd never before known. He was twenty years old and had never been properly kissed; she seduced him in her carriage on the way home from a function one night and whisked him away to her humble Charlotte home to steal his heart. His life became a whirl of working distractedly through his days and spending nights with her. The fact that society frowned on the relationship and whispered about Abigail's decency bothered Samuel greatly at first but once he found out that she was a vampire, everything else paled by comparison.
They wove a dizzying dance of sex and drinking (Abi's) and inhibition killing (Sam's) for four months, until Samuel turned twenty-one and Abigail decided he was a man in action as well as chronology. She therefore made him a deal, offering him eternal life for his pleasure and he accepted it, leaving behind the awkward society he'd grown up in, the family he'd never felt he belonged to and travelling with her to Europe.
The vampires visited all the new and exciting places on the continent, Abigail always interested in being at the forefront of fashion, intrigue and gossip. Samuel didn't enjoy the high life nor the spotlight nearly as much as she, but he loved her and so where she led, he followed (no matter how uncomfortable it made him) for four long years.
His rose coloured glasses lifted the night she brought back a new toy to their current residence and convinced Samuel to join in with the two of them (she knew about his bisexuality and he'd done things with men in her presence before, so it wasn't
new but the entire manner of it was... awkward). He was the first of a string of many and Sam sensed the tide turning; Abigail began to run down his
boring ways and to leave him at home alone more and more often. He retreated into books, learning to amuse himself once more and was hardly surprised when Abigail told him that she was going to create a new fledge.
Knowing his time with her was done, he left her, having mourned the death of their relationship whilst still in it. He'd gained money well from learning her tricks and also - some years later - from inheriting his half of his father's fortune upon his death, so he could travel as he wished. He tended to stick to small towns, keeping to himself until the reputation of his hermitism began to make people too curious, and then he would move on - try a big city until it drove him mad, and then he would revert to quieter burbs.
He returned to America in 1999, having fallen for the hype about how the technological world might come to an end and worried he'd never see his home soil again. He's been alone the past decade, travelling to the city when he heard - through underground means - about its apocalypse, but not experiencing too much of it himself. When the Oligarchy rose to power, Samuel felt it was the perfect engagement for him, having spent many of his years in Europe doing much the same sort of work, for his own pleasure. He was given a suite inside the hotel and lived a quiet existence until he fell in love with Vomas, the Oligarch for Vampires.
When the Oligarchy fell, Samuel followed Vomas, sharing in his dreams until he found out the money Vomas was sinking into his hotel was embezzled from the Oligarchy. Samuel fought with his lover, protesting the immorality of the deed but Vomas hotly denied it, pointing out that he'd been left in charge of the Oligarchy's business assets for a reason. Eventually, Sam left Vomas and returned to the city six months after that.
Appealing to Ben Samson, Samuel was given a job looking after the Kerr Galvin Academy's Library and overseeing the collection and cataloguing of the books the Oligarchy left behind. He's been given a suite in The Luminary - ironically, a stylishly refurbished edition of his former abode and still earns a humble wage for performing his dream job. He also works closely with Digital on anything he needs assistance with.
Romantically, Sam was considering linking himself with a newly-freed Dreki until he was shaken by the reappearance of an old flame at Ben's carnival. Gene had transformed into the angel Remiel and he captured Sam's interest immediately. After forcing a meeting with Remi and establishing the angel's credentials as his former friend and a guardian angel (thanks to his newfound enemy, Dominic), the two clicked and began exploring more of Remi's history. When they confronted Remi's advisor, Vretil and he admitted the truth, the pair were left with the unsettling realisation that Gene had more or less committed suicide in order to change his life.
Once they began on such a path of self discovery together, loving affection and a relationship with Remiel quickly blossomed and Sam is currently residing in the penthouse suite of the Capital building with Remi as his partner, still working for Ben at the Academy and enjoying what a difference an angel of light makes in his life.
Interesting Facts: Through all his travelling, he's learned to speak eight languages, though his southern American accent remains largely unaffected. He will generally drink from a glass or a bag rather than from a mortal, as the contact sometimes makes him uncomfortable (though there are definitely times he craves the contact and will seek the latter over a sterile experience).
Hobby/Hobbies: Reading, writing poetry, hunting down artefacts he reads about in ancient tomes and collecting them for himself (if they're cheap enough) or his employer (if they're expensive)
Likes: Keeping to himself, reading, immersing himself in research and finding lost or believed-lost items
Dislikes: Stuttering, aggressive people, being singled out
Strength: He is serene and placid in a turbulent world, willing to flow with the changes of life and accepting of everyone's differences (so long as they don't negatively impact vampires)
Weakness/Flaw: He's a daydreamer, an optimist, too trusting and willing to be led by those he views as superior (and that's everyone, really). He's self-centred, arrogant and an elitist, valuing vampires above all other species and particularly above mortals
Anything Else To Add: He frequents Venture but doesn't participate in the life going on around him, finding comfort in simply having it flow near him while he drinks his glass full of blood, instead of courting donors.
Lives in room 1515 in The Luminary. It's a corner suite.
He's messy; his home starts off tidy when he applies effort but, in no time at all (and seemingly of its own accord) there will be stacks of books, notebooks, pens, electronic devices and discarded clothes strewn about his home environment. His work desk often suffers the same fate, though
he understands very well how everything is organised. Most outsiders look upon his spaces and see only chaos.
Roleplays featuring Samuel
The Watchmaker (Samuel meets Archer)
Red Line Blues (on the way to checking out a possible relic, Sam meets Sable, a young werewolf)
Partisan (Samuel offers his work to his boss, Vomas, for approval)
Southern Congeniality (Samuel meets Gene at Sticks and Stakes Pool Hall)
Southern Comfort (Sam drives a very drunk Gene home and meets Orias)
Interrogation (Sam is summoned to speak with Oligarch McCloud)
Offers (Samuel offers Sable a job)
Tarriance (Sam takes his troubles with Jake to Vomas and ends the night in his bed)
Low Stakes (Sam happens upon Gene out with his boss, Dominic, and finds out he's single. They exchange numbers)
Touching {Data} Base (Three weeks into his affair with Vomas, Sam decides to do some work and chats with Sable)
Business Matters (Sam goes to Vomas to discuss getting translators for the rare texts they're scanning... and flirts a little before he leaves)
Best-Laid Schemes (Kerr invites Vomas to bring Sam as his date to a planned get-together. Vomas realises he has feelings for Sam and goes to him. They discuss the fact that their affair is public knowledge - Sam blames 'the trophy wife' - and Vomas stays the day at Sam's place)
High Stakes (Two nights after he and Vomas begin their sort-of relationship, Sam invites Gene out for a drink and tells him about the spell in his head)
Personal Stakes (Sam takes Gene to visit with Vomas)
The Masquerade Ball (Sam follows Vomas around the ball and meets his brother, among other interesting characters)
The Ties That Bind (Sam and Vomas discuss Halwyn)
While The Cat's Away (Sam and Vomas take up residence in the Luminary's penthouse)
Opening Night (Sam is desperate after months of separation from Vomas and, feeling his relationship is all but over, makes a rash decision to feed from Gene)
~19 month gap~Electric Feel (Newly returned to the city, Samuel meets Dreki in the sight-impaired section of the library and finds out all about the Angel/mortal hybrid)
The Garden of Everything (Sam follows Dreki to his apartment to decide whose artistry is better)
The Academy's Opening Fete (Samuel goes to the Academy's opening ceremony to beg for a job and comes away with a date)
The Nearness of You (Sam takes Dreki to Echelon to celebrate his new job)
Dessert (Samuel goes back to Dreki's place for 'dessert' and leaves with a change of heart regarding their relationship)
Get Lucky (Samuel goes to The Luminary to sign his five year employment contract and he apologises to Ben for being a dick to him in the past before he is passed on to chat with Digital)
Back In Circulation (Sam speaks with Owen, Kerr and Digital (on the phone) as he sets up the security gates in the library, speaks with Dreki and asks Ichabod out on a date before Dreki speaks with him again and leaves the library somewhat disgruntled)
I Wanna Get Better (Sam meets up with Dreki and Ash at Ben's supernatural carnival)
Intermission (Sam follows after Remi, convinced he's Gene, then returns to Dreki when he secures another meeting with the angel)
The Gene Files (Sam meets with Remi and Dom in his suite and is blindsided by Dom's repulsion. They convince Remi he is more than just a new angel, however)
Accruing Debts (Sam takes Remi shopping for a phone and groceries after they pay his fine)
Garden of Eden (Remi shows Sam his home in the rooftop garden)
Testing 1, 2 (Sam texts Dreki to organise seeing him)
Birds Of A Feather (Sam visits with Dreki to discuss their friendship)
Lost In Translation (Remi meets Sam at the library to translate Enochian texts until they're interrupted by Dreki. Remi heals him)
Forbidden Fruit (Remi flies Sam to his garden and meets Vretil, who leaves after some dramatic revelations. Remi returns Sam to the park, reeling)
An Angel Walks Into A Bar (Remi calls Sam for help after two days/nights apart and they have a sit-down meeting with Jake McCloud. Sam is uncomfortable with the demands made on Remi for the reward of the Capital's penthouse)
An Angel In His Pocket (Sam is upset about the meeting with Jake and uptight about Remi's openness with the DL. Digital enters, makes predictions and diffuses the situation before he leaves and Dreki talks to Remiel on the phone. He intrudes on their private time )
